Trending Now - Ex-missouri House Speaker Gets 21 Months for COVID Fraud
WHO:
John Diehl, former Republican House Speaker of Missouri
Hal Goldsmith, Assistant U.S. Attorney
John Diehl, former Republican House Speaker of Missouri
Hal Goldsmith, Assistant U.S. Attorney
WHAT:
Diehl also paid off a civil settlement related to his time as state House speaker.
John Diehl was sentenced to 21 months in prison for wire fraud.
Diehl received approximately $380,000 in federal loans intended for his law firm.
He misused the funds for personal expenses, including country club dues, swimming pool maintenance, home mortgage, and vehicle payments for a Tesla, Audi, and Jeep.
More than half of the funds were used to finance his law firm's defined benefit plan, of which he was the only participant.
Diehl was also ordered to pay a $50,000 fine.
WHERE:
Jefferson City, Missouri
WHEN:
Diehl entered a plea agreement in September 2025.
Diehl's sentencing occurred on March 8th, 2026.
He received the federal loans between 2020 and 2022.
Diehl entered a plea agreement in September 2025.
In 2023, the Missouri Ethics Commission fined Diehl approximately $47,000.
WHY:
Diehl misused the COVID-19 relief funds intended to help businesses affected by the pandemic for personal benefit.
HOW:
Diehl had asked the federal court to spare him from prison, noting that he had already paid back all the pandemic relief funds to the Small Business Administration.
Diehl pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with the misuse of federal COVID-19 relief funds.
(UPDATED March 10, 2026 17:17 UTC)
John Diehl, the former Republican House Speaker of Missouri, has entered a plea agreement related to a civil settlement from his time in office. Diehl, who made headlines last September, requested the federal court to spare him from prison, highlighting that he has already repaid all the pandemic relief funds he received from the Small Business Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith was involved in the proceedings, which took place yesterday at 17:16 UTC.
--
(UPDATED March 10, 2026 15:15 UTC)
John Diehl, the former Republican House Speaker of Missouri, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for wire fraud on March 8, 2026, after misusing approximately $380,000 in federal loans intended for his law firm. The funds, which were meant to assist businesses during the pandemic, were instead spent on personal expenses like country club dues and luxury vehicle payments, with more than half going towards his law firm's defined benefit plan, of which he was the sole participant. In addition to his prison sentence, Diehl was ordered to pay a $50,000 fine and had previously faced a $47,000 fine from the Missouri Ethics Commission in 2023.